Regional News of Wednesday, 20 August 2008

Source: GNA

Free Tsatsu Now Movement organises walk in Tema

Tema, Aug. 20, GNA - The wife of the former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana National Petroleum Cooperation (GNPC), Mr Tsatsu Tsikata has appealed to Tema residents to join in the campaign against the "unlawful imprisonment" of her husband.

Miss Esther Cobbah said with the support and prayers of Ghanaians, the truth of the case in which her husband was jailed five years for causing financial loss to the state would be revealed.

Miss Cobbah made the appeal on Monday at Tema after leading members of the "Free Tsatsu Now" movement in a two-hour walk exercise to distribute fliers on 24 reasons why her husband must be freed. Some of the reasons stated were ; "there was no legal basis for Mrs Justice Henrietta Abban, the trial judge to rescind her earlier decision to await the judgement of the Supreme court in respect of whether the International Finance Corporation (IFC) could come to court to give evidence for the defence."

Another reason was; "Mrs lJustice Abban was baised by resentment, prejudice and personal dislike against Tsatsu Tsikata, thus undermining her ability to act judiciously.

Mr. Jony Lithur, a member of the legal team for Mr Tsikata insisted that the former GNPC boss was innocent of the crime and called on others to spread the message that, "the judiciary was wrong in jailing him". Mr. Lithur urged the executive arm of government to desist from interfering in the work of the judiciary as that would weaken the country's young democracy. Mr. Kwesi Pratt Junior, Editor of the Insight News Paper and a member of the movement promised that the exercise would be extended to other parts of the country. Mr. Pratt also stated that the movement would not only speak against the imprisonment of Mr Tsikata but would also support any Ghanaian who suffers injustice irrespective of their political affiliation.